Politics & Economics

Lim Chim Siong was the most prominent left-wing leader in Singapore for a decade until he was eliminated from the political scene by the infamous Operation Coldstore on February 2, 1963. This book is an account of Lim's significance in Singapore's political developments in the decade preceding. It also contains tributes by his friends and colleagues in Singapore and Malaysia. This new edition features an essay by Dr Poh Soo Kai and an extract from Lim's posthumous manuscripts. It will redefine the debate on the post-war history of both countries and the legacy of continuing political repression in them.

Seeds of Dissent is a collection of 55 essays by Khoo Ying Hooi. It engages a variety of political questions rooted within the contentious terrain of culture and power in Malaysia. These essays critically speak to the multiple ways in which the dominant political power shapes and perpetuates widespread social injustice. Spanning 2012-2014, this timely collection not only provides deeply unique and thought-provoking political insights into understanding Malaysian politics and society but also guides the reader to rethinking the role of dissenting voices in shaping the future of the country.

This is a collection of speeches and essays by Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj, a Malaysian opposition parliamentarian. A social activist since his university days, he is a founding member of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia and is currently a PSM central committee member. In this collection, Dr. Jeyakumar champions the needs of the common man, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, and proposes how political systems must address social challenges.

Culture & People

A profusely illustrated, hard-bound catalogue to accompany the exhibition. Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives presents historical essays on Peranakan culture and entries on each of the fifty men and women selected for the exhibition.

Accepting the challenge of rethinking connections of food, space, and identity within everyday spaces of 'public' eating in Malaysia and Singapore, Jean Duruz and Gaik Cheng Khoo enter street stalls, hawker centers, markets, cafes, restaurants, 'food streets', and 'ethnic' neighborhoods to offer a broader picture of the meaning of eating in public places. This book creates a strong sense of the ways different people live, eat, work, and relax together, and it also traces negotiations and accommodations in these dynamics. Simply put, Eating Together is about understanding complex forms of multiculturalism in Malaysia and Singapore through the mind, tongue, nose, and eyes.

Art

This book chronicles, through photographs and an extended interview with the artist, an installation at the Peranakan Museum. Artist Lee Mingwei that explored issues of archaeology, memory, connoisseurship, and rebirth in this work of art that invited visitor participation. Lee's creation was inspired by his first visit to the museum: upon entering, he recalled his grandparents' home, where light cascading from the skylight, sounds, and aromas coming from different floors, "became a sort of multisensory symphony in my mind".

This is the third in a series of four books that is dedicated to documenting all known artworks by Sanyu. This catalogue includes 211 known watercolors by Sanyu, as well as selected drawings that serve as a sampling of Sanyu's drawing styles. As the sheer number of drawings (1,840) precludes any practicality of printing them all on paper, a complete image index on flash drive is included. Previously published catalogue raisonnes include two volumes of Sanyu's oil paintings. The fourth book, planned for publication in 2015, will catalogue the artist's prints. This series of publications devoted to the art of Sanyu is part of the Archives of Modern Chinese Art, a program of the Li Ching Cultural and Educational Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan.

Throughout history artists have collected objects for professional and private reasons. Picasso, for example, collected African and Oceanic art. This book takes a look at the private collecting habits of modern and contemporary artists including Arman, Peter Blake, Hanne Darboven, Edmund de Waal, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Dr Lakra, Sol LeWitt, Martin Parr, Jim Shaw, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Andy Warhol, Pae White, Martin Wong and Danh Vo. Their holdings range from mass-produced memorabilia and popular collectibles, such as cookie jars and children's toys owned by Warhol, to unique curiosities and specimens, like Blake's collection of Walter Potter taxidermy and other curios and rarefied artifacts, such as Japanese antiquities owned by Sugimoto. Presented alongside key examples of their work, these objects provide insight into the inspirations, influences, motives and obsessions of their owners.

This is the first bilingual publication on the life and art of revered art master, Cheong Soo Pieng. A pioneer of the Nanyang art movement and an eminent figure in the development of fine art in Singapore, Cheong Soo Pieng (b. 1917 - 1983) is widely regarded as one of the most prolific artists of his generation. The book contains up to 200 artwork illustrations, including a large number of never-been-seen works in various private collections. Apart from discussing Soo Pieng's multifaceted practice, the content has been chronologically outlined to help readers understand the diverse styles that emerged and were synthesized during the different periods of the artist's career.

This monumental new book, with essays by a spectrum of international art historians, critical theorists and artists, presents a fresh, new approach to understanding the development of modern and contemporary Chinese art through the art historical and critical framework of'three parallel artworlds'. The'100 Art Things' of the book's title refers to the special selection of 100 artworks shown in the 'Hanart 100: Idiosyncrasies' exhibition in January 2014, the narrative of which was constructed around this theoretical framework.

This catalogue focuses on a group of 72 batik altar cloths recently donated to the Peranakan Museum. Families traditionally used embroidered cloths made in southern China, but in the early 20th century, the cloths began to be made of Javanese batik. Essays by Peter Lee, discussing the use and historical context of altar cloths in Southeast Asia, and by Fiona Kerlogue, on the significance of the designs on the cloths, complement beautifully illustrated entries on each cloth.

The triennial Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize was inaugurated in 2008 by the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation and Singapore Art Museum. Recognising the most outstanding contemporary work by both emerging and established artists over the last three years, the prize puts the spotlight on compelling works of visual art from across the Asia Pacific region. This comprehensive exhibition catalogue features works nominated and exhibited during the third edition in 2014. A total of 105 works were nominated from 24 countries and territories, and a juried panel selected 15 finalist works which were shown at the museum. Staying true to contemporary practice, the entries for the 2014 edition demonstrate a diversity of medium, innovative approaches to genre and materials, and strong conceptual ideas. The critical essays and artist and nominators' statements in this volume address topical issues and collectively shed light on the region's contemporary art landscape and also on concerns and conversations relevant in society today.

To record the artist's 40 years' journey in painting, this book is published on the occasion of Journey in Art: Retrospective Exhibition by Fan Shao Hua, organised by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, from 21 March - 8 April 2015. This richly illustrated publication contains extensive writing from art critics, and includes many pages of artworks from the artist's early works as well as his sketches and paintings in various mediums and themes.

This large format book is a groundbreaking body of work by Wong Perng Fey. Wong Perng Fey (b. 1974, Kuala Lumpur) is an artist that has built his reputation as an experimental and versatile painter. His works are in many prominent public collections. His gestural paintings of figures, nature and natural vistas fluctuate between abstraction and figuration with an acute sensitivity to colours, layers and textures. With writings by Ronald Kiwitt, Martina Ziesse and Haffendi Anuar.

This book traces the history of the costume of Peranakan women; specifically, the sarong, kebaya, and baju panjang. The sarong kebaya is only a starting point, however, for a rich history of language, women, trade, slavery, community formation, and education. Profusely illustrated with a wealth of historical photographs and beautiful images of sarongs and kebayas from a large donation to the Peranakan Museum, as well as those in a private collection, the book will become a valuable reference. Independent scholar Peter Lee has amassed impressive documentation from primary and secondary sources in this highly readable, visually stunning book.

Literature

In 2008, Shilpa was struck by Bell's Palsy, leaving her face paralyzed and limp over several agonizing months. This made her delve deeper into herself, beyond her physical appearance. She soon lost her father and missed her almost daily telephonic conversations with him. This had a great impact on her and one evening Shilpa found a sudden urge to write, and she has not stopped since then. Chimes of the Soul is written in simple easy-to-read language, portraying the writer's reflections and observations. The poems touch topics like life, resilience and inspiration. Each poem is beautifully illustrated by simple line artwork.

With money and freedom, a growing pool of young, well-educated and ambitious Japanese professional women are no longer submissive, demure extensions of their menfolk. They are ready to enjoy life, and with power and position four women (onna) have formed a strong supportive bond. Their friendship has withstood romantic conflicts, the fast-paced, glitzy life of Tokyo, trials of the workplace and the insulting 'ainoko' label given to one of the four. Now sordid secrets from the past have emboldened a blackmailer, threatening the very foundation of the friends' bond.

Religion & Philosophy

Death is the inevitable fate of every single person on earth. How do we accept the inevitability of our own death? Industrialist and philanthropist Satish Modi is a member of one of the most influential and affluent families in India. Yet despite privilege and success, he discovered happiness was not synonymous with wealth-and the secret to a meaningful life begins with a fresh understanding of death. This moving, powerful, thought-provoking work based on his own reflections as well as the experiences of people from all walks of life. The result is a fascinating book that teaches us that whoever we are and whatever our aspirations in this life, it is important for each and every one of us to accept our own passing. In doing so, we free ourselves to live as fully as possible, guided by the principles of goodness, love, and compassion.

This book examines the nature of religious life among the Malays of Singapore by researching into the nature of religious elite and the basis of their authority or legitimacy. It examines the social-historical background of the ulama, their family roots, education, career paths, elements of thinking, and various forms of contribution towards enriching the religious lives of the Malays. While furnishing useful information on the institutionalization and administration of Islam in contemporary Singapore, the author raises many pertinent questions on the religious lives of the Malays and Muslims in contemporary Singapore, as well as their relations with the wider world of Islam and Muslims elsewhere.

Children

In this book, we follow the journey of Finn - a young boy whose love for his beloved pet wild boar, Billy, led him to return it to its home in the forests. While they are rarely sighted today, wild boars are actually native to tropical Singapore. They were spotted around our island from as far back as the late 19th century. Journey with him as he tries to find his family, meeting awesome new friends and also a fearsome foe along his way.

Leap & Hop is a series of cultural travel books for children aged 8 and older. The idea of the series is to turn a "grown-up" trip into a fun adventure for children. These interactive books aim at getting children to discover a new country or a big city and learn about the local culture through interesting information as well as games and activities. For parents, the books provide an ideal way to stick to a grown-up itinerary with a focus on cultural sites, and to create an unforgettable travel experience for their children. In addition to general information such as history, geography, currency, food, architecture, religious beliefs and traditions, Leap and Hop Bali will take the children to the main Balinese sites scattered across the island. The kids will be engaged as they explore the main temples such as Pura Besakih, the remains of the royal palace in Klungkung, visit the Monkey Forest, the Bird and Reptile Park, and other areas with fun and educational challenges that vary from place to place, such as scavenger hunts, "I Spy" games, quizzes, puzzles, and word searches. There is also a blog for the book series: www.leapandhopblog.com.

The Spice Kids' friends from overseas, the Herbs, have come for a visit. Everyone is excited! Everyone, except for Cinnamon. He is afraid the Herbs want to move in and take everything away from them. So he comes up with a plan to get rid of them. Will it work? Find out in this delicious tale about jealousy, trust and friendship. Bilingual in English and Chinese.